


Unwanted

by Islair



Category: The Emperor's Edge Series - Lindsay Buroker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 10:43:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14768091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Islair/pseuds/Islair
Summary: It had been a bad day.





	Unwanted

The assassin Sicarus wandered through the backstreets of Stumps aimlessly. It had been a bad day.

After arranging for Emperor Raumesys' death, he had expected things to improve. No more bullying of Prince Sespian. No more orders for assassinations for petty and spiteful reasons.

He had not however expected Sespian's visceral hatred of him and his profession to lead to the boy Emperor's first act being to dismiss him, with a price on his head if he was ever seen again alive in Turgonia.

Leaving, however was unthinkable. A child as Emperor was vulnerable. All sorts of plots to subvert, control or even just outright kill and replace Sespian would even now be being hatched by the power-hungry and the overly ambitious. He needed to stay close to protect him.

But tonight, it was cold. There was snow on the ground, and the wind was biting. And here he was, homeless and unemployed. Unwanted by his own son. His future seemed bleak.

As night fell, he found himself gravitating towards the lakeside. There were few people about here at this time of night, and the great ice warehouses near the frozen lake were generally left unguarded. Who would want to steal ice in the middle of winter, after all? He chose one at random, and let himself in.

Inside it was cold, but sheltered from that wind. He climbed up the wrapped ice blocks and support scaffolding and made his way up to the broad beams that supported the span of the roof. Up here, he would be out of sight if anyone did come to inspect the warehouse. He stretched out on his back along the beam, and tried to rest. Maybe tomorrow he would be in a better frame of mind, and be able to come up with some idea for what to do with the rest of his life.

He was awakened from his sleep by a slight vibration in the beam. Instantly alert for danger, he reached out with his senses to find the cause. A querulous "Mew?" sounded and then he felt the weight of paws walking up his body. He relaxed: only an alley cat.

The cat settled down on his chest, purring, and he gently stroked its head. Perhaps he was not entirely unwanted. At least he could share his body warmth with an alley cat on this bitter winter night.


End file.
